Health worker raped, murdered in Cagayan; man admits to crime

POLICE ROUNDUP

By Vince Jacob Visaya

TUGUEGARAO CITY -- A 27-year-old respiratory therapist at the Cagayan Valley Medical Center was found dead under the bed next to her room in Tumanguil Street, Carig Sur here on Monday, April 25, police said.
    Found dead was Maria Jennifer Suzette Oñate, a native of Gattaran in Cagayan but staying at a boarding house in this city because of her work at the hospital.
Renz Oñate, Jennifer's husband, reported to the police that his wife could no longer be reached night of April 23.
    Jennifer's body, wrapped with a blanket and placed in a carton, was already reeking of bad odor when uncovered at about 5 p.m. on Monday.
    A suitcase with the bloodied clothes of the victim was also found.
    The room where she was found was traced to Vilfred Carodan, 31, who is staying in the same boarding house with his live-in partner, Xyzerlyn Areola Evangelista of Smart, Gonzaga, Cagayan.
    Carodan was arrested in Gonzaga town as he admitted raping and killing Jennifer. Jennifer's body was brought to a funeral parlor, while Carodan has been under police custody.

2 dead in Benguet freak accidents

LA TRINIDAD, Benguet -- Authorities recorded two deaths in separate incidents in the province recently.
    In Tuba, a laborer reportedly died after he drowned while swimming at the Gallano River in Nagalisan.
    He was identified as Rhomel Abubo Balcita, a native of Bani, Rosario, La Union and a resident of Sitio Immalog, Barangay Basca in Aringay.
    Reports from the Police Regional Office Cordillera said Balcita and his companions went to swim at the Gallano River afternoon of April 24 when the victim went missing.
    Personnel of the Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office Tuba and Bureau of Fire Protection Tuba and Tuba Police immediately conducted a search operation and found the body of Balcita at 4:10 p.m.
    Over at Barangay Paoay Atok, the remains of a farmer were found in a ravine along km. 46 in Sitio Bonglo.
    Police identified the victim as Mayo Dongga-as, a resident of the barangay.
    Investigation showed the farmer was believed to have accidentally fallen into the ravine.
    He was last seen at around 11 a.m. of 23 April and was said to be intoxicated while standing on the edge of the road atop the ravine.
 

P10-M marijuana seized, 11 held in Cordi for drugs

CAMP DANGWA, La Trinidad, Benguet – Eleven drug suspects were arrested while P10,013,920 marijuana plants were eradicated by cops in operations from April 17-23.
    Based on the records of police Regional Operations Division (ROD), Abra Provincial Police Office, Benguet and Kalinga PPOs recorded the highest number of arrests with three nabbed drug personalities each followed by Baguio City and Mountain Province with one arrest each.
    Arrested in Abra were Jhan Jhan Bueno, 23; Justine Flores, 28 and Severino Tubaña, 42.
In Benguet, nabbed were Sally Palaganas, 39; Brendalee Bugtong, 39; and Arnold Novida, 43.
In Kalinga, arrested were Ariston Delgado, 44; Janet Guerre, 48 and Jay Boy Amangan, 22.
    In Baguio City and Mountain Province, arrested were John Michael Bustarde, 27 and Rosendo Tadeo, 24 respectively.
    The separate buy-bust operations conducted resulted in the seizure of a total of 20.31 grams of suspected shabu worth P138,108 and confiscation of 23.1 kilos of dried marijuana leaves and stalks worth P2,772,228.00.
    All arrested suspects are facing charges for illegal drugs.
    Meanwhile, a total of 11,560 fully grown marijuana plants worth P2,312,000 and 48  marijuana seedlings worth P1,920 were uprooted and burned by cops in Benguet.
    In Kalinga, 38,500 fully grown marijuana worth P7,700,000 were also destroyed by police.

 

 
7 gangmen arrested in  Ecija for armed robbery

By Ramon Efren Lazaro

 
CABANATUAN, Nueva Ecija -- Seven alleged members of an armed robbery group tagged in a heist in Quezon City were arrested in a follow-up operation in Nueva Ecija night of April 24.

     The suspects – Domingo Enriquez, Rolando Fajardo Jr., Eduardo Paez, Lolito Perez, Walter Torres, Wilfredo Villoga and Rodrigo Villamor – were collared in Barangay Marcos Village in Palayan City by a joint team of the Quezon City and Nueva Ecija police offices, the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group as well as by soldiers of the Army’s 7th Infantry Division.
     The suspects reportedly robbed at gunpoint several persons along Don Jose St. in Barangay Sto. Domingo, Quezon City, according to Col. Jess Mendez, acting Nueva Ecija police director.
     The raiding team recovered from the suspects a car owned by one of the victims, grenades, pistol and 11 phones